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Monthly Archives: January 2012

Clearly, posting every day is way too big an effort for me, so I’m combining multiple days into one. Here’s the breakdown for January 16th through January 21st:

January 16th: Didn’t buy anything, didn’t save anything.

January 17th: I started out with a free subscription to O Magazine which was free with a coupon from Groupon. Obviously, the price of magazines vary, but I will use Amazon as the going price, so that was a savings of $18. Next, I met some friends for dinner at Russo’s Pizzeria using a Groupon Now! voucher I got for free via coupon code, a $15 value. After, I picked up some groceries at Kroger – some splurges in organic apples, brie and havarti – normally $17.27 but free with my prescription transfer credit.

January 18th: I ordered some makeup from Sephora and found the coupon code TRY14, which gives me a bag filled with 14 samples. Free shipping applies on any purchase over $50, so I split my order into 2 shipments and got 2 sample bags. Not sure how much those bag are worth, but I am pretty excited about them.

January 19th: I used Groupon credit to get my aunt a free magazine subsciption, a $15 value. I also got lunch at Panera for free ($5.62) by using the gift card I applied for last year through Mastercard’s Here’s to Mom promotion. I also used that gift card along with a coupon to get a snack at McDonalds, saving $3.56. Finally, I met a friend at Red Robin where I used 2 $5 bonus cards that were free with gift card purchases last year during their holiday gift card promotion, saving me $10 on dinner.

January 20th: Did not buy much, but I saved $1.50 on a pizza delivery charge by using my Shoprunner.com account.

January 21st: I started my day by using a Bloomspot voucher at my favorite nail place and got a mani/pedi for $15 – a $40 savings. After, I used a Soap.com voucher I got for free with credit from ideeli and saved $20 on toothbrush heads. I also ordered a birthday cake on RedEnvelope.com using a LivingSocial voucher I got for free with credit, which saved me $39.99. Shipping was $9.99, but I signed up for a trial membership to freeshipping.com, which refunded me the $9.99 I spent on shipping. At lunch, I went to Smashburger and used the coupon found at the bottom of every receipt, where you take a survey and get a free side, saving me $2.15. Finally, I met some friends at the movies and got my ticket for free by using a Fandango voucher I got for free after deal credit on Groupon, a $11.25 savings.

Today I stopped by Banana Republic to get a price match on a dress I bought. I never take the tags off of anything until I wear it, which paid off yet again today. I went in to retun a dress I was on the fence about and saw that the price had gone down again, and they were having a 40% off sale sale. By returning the dress and then buying it back at the current price, I saved $16.23.

I also went to IKEA – they were having a promotion where if you brought a friend and a receipt from 2011, you and the friend got 10% off of your purchases, which saved me $3.00.

It’s always important to save your receipts – you never know when they may come in handy.

Finally, I used a Groupon to a furniture store for $125, which did not cost me anything because I used Groupon credit to buy it, and scored a really cool pub mirror with hooks underneath that is now hanging in my entryway.

I transferred a medication from Target to Kroger today, which earned me a $25 Kroger grocery credit. I also used a manufacturer coupon on the prescription, which brought the copay price down to $20 from $35.

Today I had an idea – which was how to workout in a gym for free. I signed up for free 7 day passes at 24 Hour Fitness, Lifetime Fitness, Fitness Connection, and LA Fitness. That means that until I decide if I want to join a gym, I do not have to pay for it, a savings of around $30.

After the gym, I got a chicken sandwich which was free after coupon at McDonalds, a $1.08 savings.

I also saved 20 cents a gallon on a tank of gas today by using points I accumulated on my Kroger card, a savings of $2.80.

Today I went to Supreme Kakes, a bakery I found about a year ago through Groupon. I picked up cupcakes for a friend’s birthday and used a $20 Groupon, which I got for free with Groupon credit. 7 cupcakes = $21 – $20 Groupon = $1.

The last time I went to 300 Houston, a semi-swanky bowling alley near my house, the bottom of the receipt had a survey code, which of course I filled out and got $10 off my next visit upon completion. I kept that receipt in my bag and when we checked out today, everyone else paid $15 – I paid $5.

Side note – pretty much everyone goes bowling. I have my own pair of bowling shoes which cost probably $20 at Academy a few years ago. Each time you rent shoes at a bowling alley it costs at least $4. Bowl 5 times and you will recoup the cost of your shoes. I may go bowling more than the average person but I have saved at least $100 by owning my own shoes.

Total savings for the day: $10 ($14.25 if you count what I saved off of a shoe rental)

I love it when lunch is free, especially when it’s a real lunch, like at a restaurant with waiters. Today, I went to Outback for lunch, where my salad, steak, sides and drink totaled $21.20. Last year, I made extensive use of Outback’s gift card promotion, where if you bought $100 in gift cards, they gave you a $20 bonus card. Whenever I went out in a large group, like Thanksgiving with my parents, I bought a gift card before we sat down so that I could get the$20 bonus card, and then we paid with the gift card. You’re going to spend $100 anyway, so why not get the free $20?

So, I used one of the $20 bonus cards and paid the balance with a Outback gift card I recieved last year, making my meal completely free.